Material unwinding device



Jan. 4, 1944. A, QUINLAN MATERIAL UNWINDING DEVICE Filed Dec. 9, 1941 F/G./ "tH-WHL i mac INVENTOR. A L. QUl/VL AN WWW Patented Jan. 4, 1944 MATERIAL UNWINDING DEVICE Amos L. Quinlan, La Grange mix, IlL, assignor i I to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 9, 1941, Serial No. 422,196'

8 Claims.

This invention relates to material unwinding devices, and more particularly to a'device for unwinding wire from a stationary spoolor reel.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflicient device for unwinding strand material from spools, reels, or

r the like.

the wire supply spoolandare of somewhat largerdiameter than the spool head.

Attached to the outside of the housing and extending upwardly therefrom is a bracket arm 32, the upper end of which is; bent over. so as to overhang the housing. A wire guiding bushing illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which v Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of a wire unwinding device embodying the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a reduced plan view thereof. The device illustrated in the drawing comprises an open top cylindrical housing In adapted to accommodate a stationary wire supply spool II, which is placed on a vertical center post i2 secured to a base plate l3 ofthe housing. The

post is a snug lit for the tubular hub l5 of thespool, and thus serves to prevent lateral dis- 33, two wire guiding sheaves" 34 and 35 and a grooved wire guiding roller 36 are mounted on the overhanging upper end portion of the bracket arm. The bushing 33 is coaxial with the wire engaging ring which, in turn, is coaxial with the wire supply spool. The wire guiding sheave is sopositioned withrespect to guide bushing 33 that the axis of the latter is substantially tangential to the wire engaging surface'of the sheave.

In the operation of the'device, a spool l I contaming a supply of wire 38 is placed within the housing ill on the center post i2; after which the stud II with the wire engaging ring 25 thereon is screwed into the upper end of the post, as described above. The outer end of the wire on p the spool is passed between the two concentric portion l3 and knob I3 is a spider 20 having an annular rim 2! which is disposed concentric with the vertical post 12. Above the spider, a coil spring 22 surrounds the stud-and is compressed between the spider and an adjustable nut 23 threaded on the stud. A similar coil spring 241s provided on the stud below the spider, being interposed between the spider and the collar portionl3 of the stud. v

To the underside of the spider rim 2| there is secured an annular wire engaging ring 25. This ring has a transversely curved outer peripheral surface 26 which is yieldably pressed by the upper coil spring 22 against a beveled annular suriace 23 ofa stationary annular ring 23 attached to the flanged upper rim of the housing Hi. It will be noted that the two annular rings 25 and 2|. are disposed above the upper head or flange oi.

u limited'to the specific embodiment thereof herein rings and 23 andis' then threaded through guide bushing 33, over the top of guide sheave 34, under guide roller 36 and over guide sheave 35, whence it is directed, to its destination.

As the wire is unwound from the spool by being pulled over the overhanging guide sheaves, it travels around the annular ring 25 which, under the pressure of coil spring 22, presses the moving wire againstthe beveled annular surface 23 of the stationary ring 29. A brake or drag is thus stationary spools or reels. Since the spring pressed ring 25 constantly-applies a uniform braking pressure to the wirev as it'is unwound (rem the spool, the wire is constantly suppliedby the device under a uniform tension, which may be varied without interrupting the supply of wire from the spool, by simply turning the spring adjusting nut 23.

' It is to be understood that the invention is not illustrated and described, except in so far as is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

'1. In a device for unwinding strand material from a spool or the like, a member having an annular strand engaging surface coaxially surrounding the spool, an annular ring coaxial with said surface and movable axially of the spool for pressing the strand material against said surface as it is unwound from the spool, and adjustable means for yieldably pressing said annular rin against said annular surface.

2. In a device for unwinding strand material from a spool or the like, a member having an annular strand engaging surface coaxially surrounding the spool, and a spring pressed annular ring coaxial with the spool for pressing the strand material against said annular surface.

3. In a device for unwinding strand materialfrom a stationary spool, a pair of annular rings coaxially surrounding the spool and arranged for the passage of the strand material therebctween as it is unwound from the spool, and means for yieldably pressing one of the annular rings toward the other ring to tension the material.

4. In a device for unwinding strand material from a stationary spool, a stationary annular ring coaxially surrounding the spool, said ring having an annular strand engaging surface, and a spring pressed annular ring coaxial with the first ring and movable axially of the spool for pressing the strand material against the first ring as it is unwound from the spool.

5. In a device for unwinding strand material from a stationary spool, a pair of annular rings coaxially surrounding the spool and arranged for the passage of the strand material therebetween as it is unwound from the spool, and adjustable spring means for pressing one of said rings toward the other ring to tension the material.

6. In a device for unwinding strand material from a stationary spool, a cylindrical housing for coaxially surrounding the spool, said housing having an annular strand engaging surface coaxial with the spool, and spring pressed means for pressing the strand against said surface as it is unwound from the spool.

7. In a device for unwinding wire from a stationary Supply spool, a cylindrical open end housing for coaxially surrounding the spool, an annular ring attached to the open end of the housing, said ring having an annular wire engaging surface coaxially surrounding the spool, a movable wire engaging ring disposed coaxial with the first mentioned ring, and an adjustable spring for urging the movable ring toward the other ring to press the wire against said annular surface as it is unwound from the spool.

8. In a device for unwinding strand material from a spool or the like, a member having an annular strand engaging surface coaxially surrounding one end of the spool, a post coaxial with the spool, an annular strand engaging member coaxial with the post and movable axially thereof, and yieldable means for constantly urging said annular member toward said annular surface to press the strand material against said surface as it is unwound from the spool.

AMOS L. QUINLAN. 

